| Description | Messier 46 (M46, NGC 2437) was the first object Charles Messier discovered (his 19th so far) after he had published the first edition of his list (M1-M45). He added this one to his catalog on February 19, 1771, three days after presenting it to the academy, together with three more Messier objects, M47, M48, and M49. [messier.seds.org]. These entries are much more typical of his 1764 work, compared to the pre-publication "eye candy" of M41-M45. Messier's entry does not reference the planetary nebula, except indirectly: `A cluster of very small stars, between the head of the Great Dog and the two hind feet of the Unicorn.... [O]ne cannot see these stars but with a good refractor; the cluster contains a bit of nebulosity.' This represents a gap of nearly two years since he'd added M41-45. <--> Beautiful, small planetary nebula NGC 2438 was my primary target, embedded within the lovely open cluster, M46. Lovely capture: the planetary nebula is bright enough that you can capture it without blowing out the cluster. |
